


a forest of flashbacks

by itachissharingan



Category: My Hero Academia, bhna, mha, my hero - Fandom
Genre: Bonfire, Camping, Childhood, Feelings, Fluff, Hurt / Comfort, M/M, Maybe OOC, Memories, also, at least kinda, forest, idk how to tag sos, idk what this is, its just cute, kinda confessing, kinda sad ig, not really tho, swearing (its bakugou), the other are legit there only at the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:08:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27174317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itachissharingan/pseuds/itachissharingan
Summary: “So, does anyone have some old bones to burn?”Bakugou would’ve laughed at the whole situation if his friends didn’t look so fucking serious.
Relationships: BakuDeku - Relationship, Bakugou x Deku, katsuki bakugou x izuku midoriya
Comments: 3
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so i know they actually got their quirks a lot earlier than what it seems like in this story, but since i wanted to include some “childhood memories” that were inspired by fan arts, lets just imagine they got their quirks a little later. 
> 
> i will be posting this on my wattpad too. my wattpad is: hewenttodramaschool  
> but dw, you dont have to follow me there because i’ll post my stories on here as well :)
> 
> also the whole “bonfire - bone fire” talk was from the haunting of bly manor. i just finished watching it and when i heard that quote, i knew i had to make a story about it. so that’s not mine!!! 
> 
> ALSO some parts of this story are inspired by the song “a promise we couldn’t keep by rnla and sølance”

Clearly this hadn’t been Bakugou’s idea. In fact, when Kirishima told him about it, he was the first to yell that he definitely wasn’t tagging along. But after some convincing here and there and Kirishima annoying the shit out of Bakugou, he gave in. 

So, there he was, in the middle of a forest. A caping trip with friends was what they called it. Personally, Bakugou thought it was the shittiest idea ever. It was cold as fuck, the tent was uncomfortable and it looked like it was going to rain soon. 

The only thing keeping them from not freezing to death was the bonfire they had set up. It was pretty, but that meant nothing, at least not to Bakugou. Why would he care if something was pretty? 

“Should we tell ghost stories?” Denki asked, a smile on his face. 

They all seemed happy, even Todoroki had a soft smile on his lips. Bakugou just had his usual expression and, for whatever reason, it bothered Midoriya. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Bakugou smile and he didn’t know why he wasn’t smiling anymore. Sure, he didn’t seem sad either, but ... Midoriya wondered why. He wanted to see his childhood friend smile again. The way he used to when they were little.

Midoriya tore his gaze away from his childhood friend, dragging it to the bracelet Bakugou had given him when they were little. He’d worn it forever, only taking it off when he was showering. Midoriya couldn’t really remember why he was still wearing it. After all, he should’ve thrown it away the moment Bakugou started bullying him. But for whatever reason, he didn’t. What he could exactly remember though, was the moment Bakugou had given it to him.

They couldn’t have been older than five, it wasn’t any special day, but Bakugou had come over, hiding something behind his back. 

“What are you hiding?” Midoriya remembered asking. The blond had grinned at him, two of his teeth missing and pulled out the bracelet. 

“This is a promise. Mom helped me make them. See, I also have one,” Bakugou had said, showing the green haired boy his arm. “This means that we’ll be the best heroes together one day! And it’s a promise that we’ll always be best friends!”

Both of the bracelets said NUMBER 1, Midoriya’s in green letters and Bakugou’s in blue. 

Midoriya had countless memories of Bakugou and him together. Way before the whole Quirk thing happened. He’d seen pictures of Bakugou and him in matching pajamas, laying on his bedroom floor. They had fallen asleep while drawing, Bakugou still had a colored pencil in his hand. 

He’d seen a picture of them making stupid faces in the camera after they both had lost a tooth. Pictures of Bakugou carrying Midoriya, as he had fallen asleep. Bakugou and him in front of an All Might poster that said “YOU can be a hero!”. 

They couldn’t wait to grow up and finally become heroes together, that was their dream. They’d talk for hours about All Might and their future as heroes. They’d imagine how they would fight the villains, what Quirks they’d have, how their classmates would be. 

And then Bakugou got his Quirk. Midoriya was right there with him when the first sparks came out of his small hand, his eyes wide and shining. Midoriya was happy for his best friend. He got a super cool Quirk and Midoriya couldn’t wait to finally get his, he was so excited to see Bakugou’s reaction. 

“‘Zuku, I’m sure your Quirk will be super cool!” Bakugou had said to cheer his best friend up. He’d said it countless times. They waited and waited, but nothing happened. 

Nothing.

There were no sparks coming out of Midoriya’s hands, he couldn’t move objects with his mind, he couldn’t make anything fly, he couldn’t fly. There were no wings growing out of his small back, no fire coming from his hands, no ice. There was nothing. 

And when it was finally his time, there was still nothing. Okay, maybe he got his Quirk later than most. Maybe they’d just had to wait a tiny bit longer until there would be something. So they waited, Bakugou always reassuring him that he’d get a super cool Quirk and that they’d be super cool heroes together. 

And even though Bakugou was so sure of it, Midoriya started to worry. What if he wouldn’t get a super cool Quirk like Bakugou’s? The thought that he wouldn’t get one at all had never even crossed his mind. 

But then the day came. 

“I’m sorry and this is very unusual but I’m afraid he doesn’t have a Quirk.”

On the car ride home, Midoriya didn’t cry. There were no tears, but it hurt. He wouldn’t be a super cool hero with his best friend. His dream wouldn’t come true. He’d be a nobody. Some quirkless loser that had absolutely nothing. But, there was still this small bit of hope. Maybe he could still be a hero, maybe if he just tried hard enough he could still be at Bakugou’s side. 

“Mom, can I still be a hero?” he had asked, watching All Might fight a villain on the computer screen. 

But when his mother had started crying, hugging him  
and apologizing over and over again, even little Izuku knew. He knew that he couldn’t be a hero. That he’d never be one. He wouldn’t be at Bakugou’s side. They wouldn’t go to UA together, they would never fight a villain together. 

But that wasn’t the only thing he lost. And soon after, his life became hell. Suddenly people were laughing at him for his dream. And Bakugou was laughing too.

Midoriya remembered all the words. 

Quirkless.

Worthless.

Don’t even try.

You can do nothing.

Deku.

Face the reality.

Loser.

Choose another dream.

Get a Quirk first.

You can’t be a hero.

Kill yourself and hope you’re born with a Quirk in your next life.

“Deku?” his thoughts were interrupted and he looked up to see everyone staring at him. 

“Sorry. What?” 

“Do you wanna hear a ghost story? Kirishima asked a while ago and we decided to vote. You didn’t vote yet,” Momo explained. 

He shrugged, “I don’t care.”

Bakugou rolled his eyes, “That’s not how voting fucking works, Deku. Pick a side. You wanna hear a fuckin’ ghost story or not?” 

Midoriya quickly looked away from his childhood friend and then shook his head, “No. I think I’m good.” 

“Do you guys know why it’s called bonfire?” Todoroki asked and everyone shook their head. 

The boy put his arms on his knees, resting his head in one hand while tugging the other through his hair, “Back in the day, they used to built giant bonfires and then talk about the people they’d lost. They’d toss offerings in, to drive away evil spirits, mostly old bones. That’s why it’s called a bonfire. From the old english, meaning ‘bone fire’.”

“So, does anyone have some old bones to burn?” 

Bakugou was sure Kirishima had been joking and he would’ve laughed at the whole situation if his friends didn’t look so fucking serious. Were they really going to talk about people they’ve lost? Because if yes, Bakugou was leaving. He didn’t wanna be there in the first place and he, sure as hell, wasn’t about to watch them all cry like little babies. 

Luckily, no one seemed to want to say something, until Midoriya raised his hand. 

Bakugou could see everyone’s eyes go wide. He hated to admit it, but he was really surprised himself. What was Deku gonna talk about? Who had Deku lost? He could start talking about his father, but considering the fact that Deku didn’t know his father, it was very unlikely. And as far as Bakugou knew, Deku hadn’t lost anyone else. 

Yeah, he had said he would get up and leave if they started talking about people they’d lost, but he was interested to see who Deku was going to talk about, though he would never admit that. So he stayed where he was, his eyes watching Midoriya’s face. 

“Well uhm,” Midoriya scratched his head with one hand while staring into the flames. “I wanted to talk about someone. And well ... a long time ago, we made a promise. We made a promise that we’d stay the same people we were, that we’d always be best friends. We wanted to become the best heroes together. Actually, no, we wanted to do everything together.”

Bakugou froze. No way Deku was talking about him. The blond remembered the promise they had made when they were kids very clearly. He remembered the way Deku had smiled at him and nodded, holding out his small pinky finger for a pinky promise. He remembered the way he’d intertwined his little finger with Deku’s. And he remembered the bracelet that came with that promise. 

Midoriya looked down at something that he was holding in a tight fist, “But, uhm, I guess we couldn’t keep that promise. He’s not dead, but I still lost him. So ... I don’t need this anymore.”

Bakugou almost jumped from his seat when he saw the bracelet in Midoriya’s hand. He wanted to stop him. He knew what he was about to do, consering what Todoroki had just said, everyone probably knew. Bakugou didn’t know why, but he didn’t want it to happen. Luckily, Todoroki grabbed the boy’s wrist. 

“Are you sure about this? How do you know you won’t be able to keep the promise? I feel like, if you do this now, it’s really the end. Are you sure?” Todoroki said, looking into Midoriya’s eyes. 

Deku turned to look at Bakugou. Even though the blond didn’t want him to do it, his expression was the same as always. 

“Let me go, Todoroki.”

Todoroki nodded, letting his hand fall down. Bakugou didn’t do anything, he just watched as Deku threw the bracelet into the fire.


	2. you said i was your superhero

“What the fuck was that all about?” Bakugou yelled at Midoriya, as soon as they had gotten away from the others. He was grabbing Midoriya’s wrist tighter than he wanted to, but he was afraid the boy would run off as soon as he let go. 

“W-What?” Midoriya’s eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

Bakugou sighted, leaning against one of the many trees with one shoulder, “Why’d you throw it in the fire?”

“Kacchan- no, Bakugou. We’re not- not friends anymore. I’ve tried. I always did, but I have to stop. I just can’t keep on hoping that maybe you change your mind and come back one day. I’ve been holding on for so, so long and it hurts. Nothing ever changes, so what’s the point? You know, when I got my Quirk, I thought we could be friends again. I wanted to impress you so you’d see that I’m not useless Deku anymore. But all you did was get mad. I don’t know how to fix it. I’ve ... tried everything,” the green haired boy explained.

The fact that Deku had just called him Bakugou made him mad, for some reason. This wasn’t the Midoriya he knew. This wasn’t the annoying six year old that would follow him around everywhere, even if he’d just get beaten up again. This wasn’t his Deku. 

Another sigh escaped the blond’s lips, “Stop trying to fix everything! Stop trying to fix things that weren’t your fault, you dumbass!” 

“But who else is going to?! I didn’t wanna lose you, Bakugou!” this was the first time since they were children that Midoriya was actually, really fighting back. He was yelling. 

The green haired boy pulled his arm away from Bakugou’s grab, bringing more space between them, while the blond just stared at the younger. 

He wanted to yell at him for talking back, but he held himself back, “Ever thought about the fact that I didn’t try to fix it because I didn’t want it fixed?” 

It shouldn’t have surprised Midoriya, it really shouldn’t have. But somehow, the words still made his chest feel tight. He could feel the tears burning in his eyes and he was so desperately trying to hold them back because he didn’t wanna give Bakugou another chance to see him this weak. 

Bakugou, on the other hand, regretted his words right after he spat them out. But he wasn’t the type to apologize for something, so he just stared, his expression the same as always. 

“You really don’t wanna be my friend again, huh?” Deku asked, eyes staring at the suddenly very interesting ground. 

The anger that was running through the boy’s veins just a few seconds ago had disappeared completely. He knew that he was the one that cut the bond, that he was the one who threw that bracelet into the fire. But maybe, just maybe, a part of him had hoped that Bakugou would react to it, in a different way. He’d been hoping that maybe Bakugou would get mad at him for throwing it away, that Bakugou didn’t want their friendship to end. But it seemed like even the smallest bit of hope was getting ripped to shreds by his childhood friend. 

The blond shook his head, “I don’t feel anything for you.”

That made Izuku’s head snap up, his gaze narrowing as he took in Bakugou’s form, until he noticed something, “If you feel nothing, why are your hands shaking?”

Katsuki shoved his fists into the pockets if his jacket as he turned away from the boy, thinking about a good response. After all, he knew that hiding it made no sense anymore, Deku had already seen anyway. But he sure as hell wasn’t gonna admit anything. 

So, he angrily stared at one of the trees, until Deku said something again. 

“You know, Bakugou. I know you’re not one to talk about your feelings and I know you’re not one to apologize, but a simple ‘I’m sorry’ would be enough for me. I don’t need an explanation why you started bullying me. Hell, if I was you I would’ve probably done the same thing. I was just a quirkless loser after all and you didn’t need someone like that. You needed someone stronger, someone you could train with, someone that could take your punches. And I was too weak, I get it. I understand that you didn’t wanna hang around with me anymo-“

Bakugou’s fist collided with a tree, shutting Midoriya up, “Shut the fuck up, Deku! I swear to every single god there is, one more word and I’ll actually kill you.”

“I’m telling you I’m not mad at you and this is how you react?” Midoriya asked, staring at the boy in front of him. What the hell had gotten into Bakugou?

The blond turned around, his expression almost looked like he was ... in pain, “You don’t understand anything! You should be mad! Fuck, I bullied you for years! Deku, I fucking told you to kill yourself! And, believe me, at that time I meant it. You’re not supposed to stand here and tell me you get it, for fucks sake. You’re supposed to rage, yell, punch me - do whatever, but don’t stand here and tell me you’re not mad at me! You’re making it worse!”

“W-what are you talking about, Bakugou?”

Katsuki winced every single time he heard that name cone out of Midoriya’s mouth, but of course he’d never show that, “You really are a fucking idiot, huh? There’s a reason why I didn’t want you to fix things. Why I didn’t want you to fix us, idiot.”

“Yeah, I know. Because I was a quirkless loser and-“

“No!” Bakugou came two steps towards Deku, sparks coming from his right hand, “I didn’t want you to fix things because I don’t deserve you!”

Midoriya’s eyes went wide. What was he saying? He didn’t deserve him? But that made no sense. He was, after all, just an idiot that could do nothing. Hell, he didn’t even have his Quirk under control. Bakugou was so ... perfect, in Izuku’s eyes and he was just ... nothing. Not even close to perfect, “You don’t have to lie, you know. I get it.”

Anothet step closer, more sparks, “Are you even listening to anything I’m fucking telling you?! Yeah, I was mad because you were quirkless. Yeah, I thought you were too weak to be with me. So I kept going and hurting you, thinking that, at some point, you’d have to step down and leave me the fuck alone. But you never did. Even when we were kids, you kept running after me and that never changed. You kept trying to talk to me and be nice to me and it pissed me the fuck off! Because you were supposed to be mad at me! But you were just so ... disgustingly nice all the time. It made me angry at first and then I started to get sad, because after everything I’ve done, you were still right there. By my side. Everyone else left along the way, but you! Why didn’t you leave?! I didn’t understand and I still don’t. I- I thought- Nevermind.” 

The blond tugged one hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. And then he realized what he had just said. He did what he told himself he wouldn’t do over and over again. 

His eyes switched from one side to another, trying to find a way out of this situation. He didn’t wanna be there any longer, but Deku had other plans. 

“You’re not gonna run away this time, Bakugou. Not this time. I won’t let you. You can’t just throw all of that at me and then run again. Sit down,” Midoriya said, pointing to a spot on the ground. 

Bakugou sighted and rolled his eyes, but did as he was told regardless. He didn’t exactly know why, but maybe he was just exhausted from all the fighting. He leaned his back against a tree, watching Izuku do the same with tired eyes. 

“Bakugou, I- Why did you never tell me any of this? You know, we could’ve talked this out,” Midoriya said, looking at the ground. He took some of the grass in his hand and ripped it out of the ground, continuing to do so while waiting for an answer.

Bakugou closed his eyes, “Have you met me? I’m not the type to talk about that shit and I certainly didn’t mean to tell you this, ever.” 

Deku put his hand flat on the ground and looked at the blond for a while, before answering.

“So ... you would’ve been okay with it if we just went back to being strangers?”

Katsuki still had his eyes closed, but Midoriya could see the way he was balling his fists, “I don’t fucking know, okay? I felt ... guilty, I guess. But I thought there was no way to ever make it up to you. I did some horrible shit to you, some half assed apology wouldn’t have made that any better. And I thought if you just left me alone, that you’d be better off, okay?!”

The green haired boy huffed, which made Bakugou open his eyes and look at him, “Bakugou. Why did you think I ran after you all these years? I wanted, no, I needed you in my life. You were my best friend and at times my only friend. You know how I felt when everyone started laughing at me? And ... and then I looked over at you and-“ 

He stopped talking, trying to swallow the tears down, but Bakugou nodded. 

“And I was laughing too.” 

Midoriya nodded and despite his efforts, a few tears still managed to escape. He was waiting for the backlash, for Bakugou to point his finger and yell at him to stop being a crybaby, but there was nothing. When the green haired boy looked over, he saw that Bakugou was simply watching him, an emotion in his eyes that Deku couldn’t pinpoint. 

The conversation ended there that night.

But, a couple days later, Midoriya walked into the classroom just to see Katsuki sitting at his desk, his head on the table. But that wasn’t what catched his eye. 

There was a small package on his desk. It was wrapped in green wrapping paper. He carefully picked it up and ripped the paper, which made Bakugou pick his head up and turn around to watch the other. 

Inside was a small box. When he opened that, he saw a new bracelet. It looked exactly like the one he had thrown in the fire a few days back. It said NUMBER 1 again. He glanced at Bakugou and thought he saw a slight blush on his cheeks. 

Midoriya took the bracelet out of the box, not quite understanding what it meant yet and put it on. The blond was walking over to him, stopped in front of his desk and looked at Midoriya like he was waiting for something. 

“Ah, uhm, thank you, Bakugou,” he mumbled, but the boy just put his pinky in front of Deku’s face. 

The green haired boy looked at the outstretched finger, cocking his head to the side.

“Do it before I change my fucking mind, nerd,” Bakugou growled and Deku just smiled a soft smile as he put his pinky around Katsuki’s. 

A new promise. 

Midoriya glanced at their pinky’s and noticed something on Bakugou’s wrist. It was an almost identical bracelet to the one he was wearing, only that it had GROUND ZERO written on it. Again, Izuku tried to hold the tears in his eyes. Regardless of his efforts, Katsuki still saw them and huffed. 

“Oh, and ... stop calling me Bakugou. It’s fuckin’ weird, ‘Zuku,” the blond mumbled and went back to his desk as if nothing ever happened. 

“O-Okay, Kacchan,” Midoriya mumbled, sure that the blond hadn’t heard him. He was wrong. 

Bakugou had put his head back on his desk, but he couldn’t hold back the smile that was spreading across his face.


End file.
